PERSONAL and business documents were discovered amongst piles of rubbish dumped in a Port Glasgow street.

Dr Jacqueline Coutts stumbled over them whilst out on an early morning jog in Sunnyside Avenue yesterday.

The 48-year-old immediately raised the alarm about the fly-tipping as she was concerned to see a pile of personal documents including bank statements.

She told the Tele: “Ordinarily I would use the ‘Dumb Dumpers’ website to report this however I noticed that alongside pallets that had been dumped a couple of days ago, there was a large amount of paperwork, as well as recent bank statements.

“It was shocking to find that and that’s why I raised the alarm.”

Dr Coutts, who works as a research scientist, says this is the latest in a spate of fly-tipping incidents to hit the area.

She added: “There have been several fly-tipping occurrences lately, both in this area, along Old Greenock Road and also on Finlaystone Lane.

“I reported a mattress on Old Greenock Road and a three-piece suite and a child’s trampoline on Finlaystone Lane, all within the past few weeks.  Fly-tipping seems to be on the increase in the area.”

Dr Coutts says she immediately reported the dumping to the council and Derek Mackay, SNP MSP for Renfrewshire North and West, pictured.

A spokesman from Inverclyde Council says the find is being handled by their environmental team.

He said: “There is no reason why anyone should have to fly tip and spoil the area.

“From the information reported through the Telegraph this material would also appear to include personal information and bank statements.

“This should be a wakeup call and a particular worry for the individuals concerned. It exposes their personal information and leaves them open to the potential for that being used for fraudulent activity.

“The simple solution to fly-tipping is to take your stuff to your nearest recycling centre and dispose of it properly and safely.

“If it can be re-used there are plenty of opportunities to do that, including supporting local and national charities. It won’t take any more time and won’t cost you anything.

“Anyone spotting fly-tipping with information can report it online anywhere in Scotland through the national ‘dumb dumpers’ website and phone line.”

Derek Mackay, constituency MSP for Kilmacolm, said:
“This is concerning, and I have contacted Inverclyde Council to ask them to clear up the mess and investigate the reported documents which have been found.

“It is important that we discover if this is someone dumping their own paperwork, and if it is, they are fined, or if a more serious breach has happened here or if innocent members of the Kilmacolm and Port Glasgow communities have had their personal details thrown away in such a manner.”